Chapter 97: Jiang-Gui War (Complete)

At Hongdu Headquarters, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi were reviewing the battle situation.

"The Chairman's troops are well equipped but unfamiliar with the terrain; that is our advantage," Bai Chongxi said, pointing at the map. "I suggest concentrating forces to first crush Liu Zhi's Central Route Army."

Li Zongren nodded in agreement: "Order Li Mingrui's Seventh Division to reinforce the front line immediately and be sure to reach the combat position within three days."

However, after the order was issued, Li Mingrui delayed departure, citing "the troops need rest." At the same time, Yang Tenghui's Third Division also showed abnormal movements.

"Something's wrong," Bai Chongxi observed keenly. "Li Mingrui and Yang Tenghui have been acting strangely lately; I suspect…"

Before he could finish, a signalman rushed in with a telegram: "Report! Li Mingrui's division suddenly withdrew from its position and moved toward Xingcheng!"

Li Zongren's complexion changed abruptly: "Contact Yang Tenghui immediately!"

But it was already too late. Soon another report came: Yang Tenghui's unit also mutinied, and the two forces, totaling over twenty thousand men, defected on the spot, creating a huge gap in the Gui faction's defensive line.

On the Xiangdong battlefield, He Jian's Xiang Army was making its final resistance. The Hunan Provincial Chairman knew that if they were defeated, not only his position but also his life would be in jeopardy.

On the other side, "Report, Chairman, Yongfengzhen has fallen!"

"Report, Liling is in emergency!"

Bad news kept arriving one after another.

He Jian stood before the map, his face ashen. He knew the situation was lost, yet he still fought a cornered beast's battle.

At the front-line positions, the fighting entered its most brutal stage. Soldiers on both sides contested every hill and every village repeatedly. Sometimes a position changed hands dozens of times within a single day.

By the Liuyang River, the Central Army launched its seventeenth charge. Gui army soldier Wang Laowu had his eyes bloodshot with murderous fury; his bayonet was bent and his rifle stock cracked. When another Central Army soldier surged forward, he lunged and bit the opponent's throat with his teeth.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Wang Laowu roared like a beast until he was felled by a hail of gunfire.

Such scenes were commonplace on the Xiangdong battlefield. Hatred took root and sprouted in both sides' hearts.

On the other side, the Chairman received good news in Jinling and, satisfied, said to the Li Yuxuan beside him, "Jingxing, did you see that? This is the effect of attacking the heart above all else."

Li Yuxuan felt a mix of emotions: "The Young Master's brilliant calculations. However… this method may only encourage a wind of betrayal within the army."

The Chairman was unconcerned: "Those who accomplish great deeds do not mind the small details. The betrayals of Li Mingrui and Yang Tenghui can save us many soldiers from sacrifice."

Meanwhile in Jiangcheng, the Gui faction's headquarters was in chaos. Li Zongren tried to reorganize the defensive line, but the troops' morale had already wavered.

"De Gong, the situation is critical," Huang Shaohong reported urgently from Yuzhang. "Guangdong's Chen Jitang sees the situation unfavourable and has held his troops in place. We are now isolated."

Worse still, Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xisan, who had originally promised to maintain Neutrality, saw the Gui faction's fortunes wane and each sent telegrams supporting the Chairman, joining the encirclement of the Gui faction.

Bai Chongxi suggested, "The only way out now is to abandon Jiangcheng and fall back to defend Yuzhang. As long as we hold the Yuzhang base, there is a chance to rise again."

Li Zongren closed his eyes in pain. The Lianghu base he had managed for years was destroyed in an instant; his heart was unwilling, yet he knew it was the only choice.

In early April, Li Zongren led the remnants toward Yuzhang in retreat. The Chairman ordered all units to pursue relentlessly, ensuring the complete annihilation of the Gui faction's main force.

Inside a temporary command post within Sanxiang, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi made a difficult farewell.

"Jianshen, you take the main force to continue the southward retreat; I will hold the rear here," Li Zongren said with a resolute expression.

"That's too dangerous!" Bai Chongxi objected, "We must go together!"

Li Zongren shook his head: "Someone has to hold back the pursuers. Remember, keep Yuzhang, and we will have hope."

Just as the two argued, grim news came from the front: Li Mingrui's rebel army had seized the vital road to Guangxi, cutting off the retreat.

"That traitor!" Bai Chongxi slammed his fist onto the table in anger.

Li Zongren, however, calmed down: "Heaven wills it so. Send the orders: each unit break into smaller groups and break out separately. As long as we reach Guangxi, we can regroup and rally."

In early May, the Chairman announced in Jiangcheng that the anti-Gui war had been won. The Gui faction, which once dominated Central China, collapsed completely within just two months.

At the Jiangcheng camp, the Chairman met with the defectors Li Mingrui and Yang Tenghui.

"The two generals truly understand the great righteousness, abandoning darkness for light; it is a blessing for the nation," the Chairman said with a bright smile. "We will fulfill all the conditions you asked for, without omission."

Li Mingrui flattered, "All thanks to the Chairman's wise leadership. Li Zongren fails to read the times and brings about his own ruin."

After the two withdrew, Li Yuxuan could not help but speak: "Young Master, can such people be employed? They can betray Li Zongren today, and tomorrow…"

"Jingxing," the Chairman interrupted, "When the water is too clear, there are no fish. This is a time for employing people; no need to be overly scrupulous."

At that moment, a signalman delivered the latest battle report: Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi had successfully broken through the encirclement and returned to Yuzhang.

The Chairman's expression darkened instantly: "Send the orders to continue the pursuit; we must root out the enemy completely!"

On May 6, the remnants of the Gui army began retreating into Yuzhang's territory. It was a shattered division; the soldiers wore tattered clothes, many without shoes. The wounded were abandoned by the roadside, awaiting death in despair.

Surrounded by his guards, Li Zongren rode his horse among the retreating column. Watching the once-mighty unit reduced to this state, his heart bled.

"De Gong, as long as the green mountains remain, we need not fear lacking firewood," Bai Chongxi said soothingly.

Li Zongren forced a bitter smile: "We lost this battle far too badly."

Behind the column, the Central Army's pursuers pressed on relentlessly. Wherever they went, they killed suspected Gui soldiers without mercy, and many civilians also suffered.

Farmer Li Ergou was hit by stray fire while working in his own field. He fell upon the land he had cultivated all his life, eyes staring at the sky, never understanding until death what this war was truly for.

When the last batch of Gui army retreated into Yuzhang, the months-long Jiang-Gui War finally came to an end. The war caused over ninety thousand casualties on both sides and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians.

In Jiangcheng, the Chairman held a grand victory celebration. Yet behind the festivities, a crisis was brewing. As each faction saw the Chairman's methods toward the Gui faction, they could not help but feel uneasy.

Although Li Mingrui received the high offices and riches promised by the Chairman, he was despised by other generals and isolated within the army.